Her family worked on the farm, went to Mass on Sundays, and she had a boyfriend. And yet their pastor in central Minnesota reminded her about a life “higher than what the world had to offer.”
These were the steps that Sr. Loretta, of the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis, in Peoria, IL, took in becoming a religious sister. She entered the convent’s novitiate, or entry-level preparation, after high school, and now says, “What a vocation it has been!”
These Franciscan sisters, who run a health care system in central Illinois, are one of the religious communities coming to the Here I Am Lord National Vocations Conference for youth in St. Charles, IL, March 5 – 8.
Held in this city, about 30 miles west of Chicago, the conference involves thousands of Catholic youth in talks, music and prayer and aims to give direction to their lives. “The conference can change the way young people look at vocations,” said Mike Zak, the conference’s director. “They will return to your parish excited about vocations. They will learn that marriage, single life, the priesthood, religious life as a brother, sister, and nun are all vocations in the eyes of God and the Church.”
Youth and youth leaders are encouraged to sign up for the conference. The conference’s website is located at http://www.hereiamlord.net.
Photo:
http://www.prlog.org/





